Hi Friends!
Yesterday was another freezing day here in MN – temps were -7 when I left for work! Boo!
I really want to get outside and run, but it is too cold and I am too much of a wimp! So I headed to the gym for a quick run:
Afterward I spent some time foam-rolling (focusing on my IT bands mostly – they sure feel sore!) and stretching, along with some pushups, planks, squats and lunges (my “quick” strength workout moves).
I want to show you probably the easiest dinner I have made in a long time:
Easy Roasted Chicken Breasts with Veggies
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a baking dish, combine a bag of veggies (could use baby carrots or broccoli/cauliflower or a mix of all 3) and toss with 2 cloves of chopped garlic and about a teaspoon of oil.
Take 2 chicken breasts, rub with some oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place on top of the veggies. Roast for 35-40 minutes.
Super easy and really delicious. I have made a whole roasted chicken in a similar way, but this is easier with just the chicken breasts instead of the whole bird.
What is an easy meal you like to prepare when you are short on time? Usually I make eggs/toast if I am in a rush, but this one might be a close second.
I was looking through some old magazines yesterday (am I the only one who keeps almost any magazine?):
And I picked up an old Cosmo with Christina Aguilera on the cover from 2006 (yes it was that old!) – maybe I thought of her Super Bowl performance?
Anyway, one of the articles is called The Simple Secret to Happiness and it talks about how to “feel calmer instantly, improve your mood and make your life more enjoyable”. Here are a few points :
- Buy memories instead of things (go somewhere and experience something vs. buying actual things)
- Do a digital detox – for a day or a whole weekend
- Instead of spending time thinking about what you wish you had, be thankful for what you DO have
- Think happy, positive thoughts
- Streamline your schedule
- Simplify your home: clean, organize, and get rid of as much as you can (you don’t need it!)
- Before “shopping, pigging out or otherwise overindulging” – think about whether doing so will really help you or will it hurt you in the long run (make you feel bad, increase your debt load)
Obviously an article (or even a book) cannot list all of the “secrets to happiness” – but what do you think of the list? Is there anything you would add? Anything you would take out? I personally really like #6 — we have been working on this and it feels good to donate things and to have a clutter free home. I don’t think that is the “secret to happiness” but it definitely helps me keep calm, which in turn makes me happy!
Enjoy your day!
Holly